Wednesday, August 31, 2011

In art, as in life

Ive been cleaning up my sketchbooks lately. Both the big one I use for serious stuff and the little moleskin 'pocket' sketchbok I use as kind of an art journal thingy. (Thingy being a highly technical term, of course) I've started to notice something about my work. I do a lot of line drawing. They are simplistic, even cartoonish (I am still a bit rusty after all). But most of what I notice is that i use a lot of negative space. With my work, its as much about what I don't say as what I do. To me that negative space is so important, that i dont want to muck it up by doodleing there.

The negative space lets the mind wander. Lets it wonder. Lets it think of all the mysterious and beautiful things that could be there. Removes all limitations, and allows for endless possibilities. It allows the viewer to be an active participant in the art piece. Its as much about the viewer as the artist, each participating equally.

And I see a lot of that in life too. Its as much what you DONT say or do in life as what you DO. So let your negative space be your endless possibility. And make it as much about you as the people around you.